Can-opener.



C. H. WORKMAN. 7

CAN OPENER.

APPLICATION -F|LED APR. 3, 1915.

1,145,343. Patented July 6, 1915.

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CAN-OPENER. 3

'Appfioation filed April 3, 1915. Serial No. 19,018. a

To all whom it ma z concern: j

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. WORK.- MAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful H Improvements in Can- Openers,of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relatesltoa can opener.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple,substantial, easily operated can opener which is provided with a rotarycutter, and which is also provided with means for supporting andgripping the can while the cutting operation is taking place. I

Further objects will hereinafter appear.

' The invention consists of the parts and the construction andcombination of parts ,as hereinafter more fully described and claimed,having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which'. j j

Figure 1 1s a plan view ofthecan opener. 1s a cross section of same onlne 2,2,

Fig. i 1.

interlocking of the fixed and movable jaws. Fig. 4: is a detail sectiononline'i-A of Fig.

1. Fig. 5 is a detail, verticalsection on line 5+5 of Fig. 2. j

Aindicates a cutting head-whichis adapted to be turned or; rotated bymeans of a handle 2. The handle is pivotally mounted,

as at 3, in lugs 4 formed .ontop of the head and is adapted to be tiltedintothe full line .position shown in Fig. 2 and automatically returnedto the normal position indicated by dotted ,lines in. said figure by aspring 5. The upward movement of thelever' is limit- .ed by a lug6,whi1e the downward or depressing movement is limited by a lug 7. so

--Slidably mounted in the head, in slots 8 formed between the armsupporting lugs, is

.a vertically positioned; cutt ng knife 9. The

upper end of this knife is provided with a slot 10 through which aprojection on lug 5 extends. The lower end of the knife is suitablypointed or-shaped, as indicated at 11, to produce a cutting edge.Theknife is l j operated by means ofthe handle, or, in other words,raised. or lowered by. samein this manner be depressedto puncture thetop of the can indicated-at 12. v

the movable jaw is swung intoclosedaposibeing turned by means of thehandle2,pre-

Fig. 3 is a detail view" showing v through the connection providedby'the lug, and may mounted with relation thereto, as indicated 2 at 15.Formed integrally with the stationary jaw is a screw clamp, such asindicated at 16, by which the can opener as a whole a may be secured tothe edge of a table or the like. Suitably secured on the lower end ofthe clamp is a platform 17 upon Which the can to be opened is supported.

Fivotally mounted in the outer end of the movable jaw is a lever 18, onthe inner end of which is formed a hook or catch 19 which is adapted'tobe swung into engagement with a lug 20 formed on the stationary :j aw.The cutting head is adapted to be rotated when tion and when thelockinglever is thrown 1nt o position where its inner hookedlendengages. with the cooperating lug; the head viously described.

line position indicated ill Fig. 1. The can to be opened is then placedon the support- In op eration, when it is desired to. opena can, 1t isonly necessary to release the moving platform and moved ,into. positionbelow i the rotary cutting head: The movablejaw cure the rotary cuttinghead in position but also clamps the can against movement; the

stationary and movable. jaws being sufficiently deep to embrace theupper part, of the can. Handle 2 is then depressed, as

.shown' in Fig. 2, causing the. knife to enter the. can. Itisthenrotated one revolution,

causing the lmife'to form, a circulancut which severs the head ,fromthecan. The

handle is then released and isautomatically in Fig. .2 by means of thespring '5; the same shown in Fig. 1 and the can removed.

The upper face ofeach jaw is provided with a semi-circular groove 21into which a pin 22, secured in the cutting head, is adaptplete circlewhen the jaws are closed. 1 The pin in this instance merely serves asa'means {is then swung back and locked, as previously described.Thisoperation does not only seto retain the cutting head in thefixed'jaw while the movable jaw is thrown into the open position. Thejaws are also provided returnedtothe dotted linev position shown ed toregister. .Saidgrooves form acom- .1

with a second groove, such as indicated at 26, and the cutting headproper is provided with an outwardly extending flange which fits saidgroove. The head is thus completely locked from removal while the jawsare closed but is free to rotate.

Formed at each end of the stationary aw is an outwardly projectingshoulder 23, and formed at each end of the swinging jaw is a recess 24.These recesses register with the shoulders 23 when the jaws are closedand this forms a means for supporting the movable jaw while the head isbeing rotated. This is of considerable importance, as the whole strainwould otherwise have to be supported by the pivot about which themovable jaw swings.

The cutting knife provided in the present instance is also ofconsiderable importance, as'it has two cutting edges, thus permittingthe head to be revolved in either direction. The center portion of theknife, furthermore, has a tendency to turn in the cut edge against theside of the can, thus smoothing it off and destroying the cut edge whichis generally left on the can by ordinary can openers.

The materials and finish of the several parts of the device may be suchas the experience and judgment of the manufacturer may dictate.

I wish it understood that various changes in form, proportions and minordetails of construction may be resorted. to within the scope of theappended claims, and that I do not wish to limit myself to the specificdesign and construction here shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is- 1. A can opener comprising, in combination, a rotaryhead, means for supporting a can below said head, a verticallypositioned knife reciprocally mounted in the head, means for depressingsaid knife so that it will enter the can head, and means for rotatingthe head.

2. A can opener comprising, in combination,a rotary head, a pair of jawsin which said head is mounted, one of said jaws being pivotally mountedwith relation to the other, means for locking said jaws to inclose andgrip the can to be opened, a knife mounted inv the head, means fordepressing said knife to enter the can top, and means for rotating h ea3. A can opener comprising, in combination, av rotary head, a pair ofjaws in which said head is mounted, one of said jaws being pivotallymounted with relation to the other, means for locking said jaws toinclose and grip the can to be opened, a, knife mounted in the head,means. for depressing said knife to enter the can top, means forrotating the head, and means for automatically raising the knife out ofengagement with the can.

a. A can opener comprising, in combination, a rotary head, a pair ofjaws in which said head is mounted, one of said jaws being pivotallymounted with relation to the other, means for locking said aws toinclose and grip the can to be opened, an arm pivotallv mounted on thehead, said head having a vertically positioned slot formed therein, aknife slidably mounted in said slot, means for depressing the arm, and aconnection formed between the arm and knife to depress the knife inunison with the arm.

5. A can opener comprising, in combination, a rotary head, a pair ofjaws in which said head is mounted, one of; said jaws being pivotallymounted with relation to the other, means for locking said jaws toinclose and grip the can to be opened, an arm pivotally mounted on thehead, said head having a vertically positioned slot formed therein, aknife slidably mounted in said slot, means for depressing the arm, aconnection formed between the arm and knife to depress the knife inunison with the arm, and means for automatically raising the arm andknife.

6. A can opener comprising, in combination, a rotary head, a pair ofjaws in which said head is mounted, one of said jaws being pivotallymounted with relation to the other, means for locking said jaws toinclose and grip the can to' be opened, an arm pivotally mounted on, thehead, said head having a vertically positioned slot formed therein, aknife slidably mounted in said slot, means for depressing the arm, aconnection formed between the arm and knife to depress the knife inunison with the arm, and means for automatically raising the arm andknife, said means comprising a spring interposed between the arm andhead.

7. A can opener comprising, in combination, a rotary head, a pair ofjaws in which said head is mounted, one of said jaws being pivotallymounted with relation to the other, means. for locking said jaws toinclose and grip the can to be opened, an arm pivotally mounted on thehead, said head having a vertically positioned slot formed, therein, aknife slidably mounted in said slot, means for depressing the arm, aconnection formed between the arm and knife to depress the knife inunison with the arm,'a spring interposed between the arm and headtoautomatically raise the arm and knife, and means. for limiting thepivotal movement of the arm in either direction.

8. A, can opener comprising, in combination, a rotary head, a. pair ofjaws in which said head is mounted, one of said jaws being pivotallymounted with relation to the other, a locking lever pivotally mountedwith relation to the other, a locking lever 1 pivotally mounted on themovable jaw having a hook-shaped member formed on its inner end, a lugon the stationary jaw with which the hook-shaped member is adapted tointerlock, said jaws being adapted to inclose the head and grip the canto be opened, an arm pivotally mounted on the head, said head having avertically positioned 'slot formed therein, a knife slidably mounted insaid slot, means for depressing the arm a connection formed between thearm and knife to depress the knife in unison with the arms, aspring'interposed between'the arm I v and head to automatically raisethe arm and j knife, and means for limiting the pivotal 15 movement ofthe arm in either direction.

In testimony'whereof I have here-unto set I CHAS. P, HUNT, CHAs. A.OAVANAUGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 1

